My 40th Birthday
by Trish Lopez, Founder
My 40th Birthday Blog (April 9, 2018)
A Letter to Friends and Loved Ones
Here is the letter I wrote to my nearest and dearest this weekend that you are welcome to read too. Feel free to send me your advice at trish@teeniors.com
Friends and family -
I hope this finds you well. You're on my mind because... my 40th birthday is tomorrow! Monday, April 9th. It really snuck up on me. I assumed years ago that I would plan something super cool like a girls' vacation or a masquerade party or a safari... but no. I'm throwing things together at the last minute after being asked what the hell I want from my brothers. Finally came to a few ideas:
In our family, your birthday is the only day of the year that you can get people to do almost whatever you want (tango class for all? yes. camping in the Gila? yes. duck duck goose and board games at my place? maybe.) So the not knowing what to do the past few birthdays has been missed opportunities like crazy.
Also in our family, when we're celebrating someone, I like to toast to that person and say the first words that come to mind when we think of them. It's something I hope will become a tradition one day. Hence the idea for my wish... last year a friend was making a birthday book for her older sister and asked us all to write testimonials to her. It inspired me to start such a project (still unfinished) for my own sis. I loved the idea. One time I saw this Facebook post go around that said "leave a sentence about how you know me in the comments". Thought that was cool.
My birthday wish feels similar to all of this.
I would love to receive a personal 40th birthday message from you. :)
I recently started this leadership cohort and we had our first class last week. I was SO glad that instead of going into business type lectures and client scenarios, the entire focus was on us as individuals. Our vulnerabilities, what drives us to be who we are, the things we face and don't face in life. It was VERY cool. Exactly the way I would have led a leadership training. Many people were expressing really hard things, a few were crying. It was awesome and real.
The past five years were the hardest chapters of my life. Tons of LOVE, beauty, and personal growth... and also a lot of HARD. You who are close to me know about it. You who I rarely get to see, know less. And I realized that what's always made me feel better in the hard times were genuine expressions of love and friendship and vulnerability. And people who are ok talking about the hard times, and not looking away from them. (Like a visit after our daughter was born when we were completely drained and sleep deprived... a message of encouragement or understanding after her dad and I split up. Some random notes, even by people I don't know. Like this a woman who went out of her way to find me on Facebook last year and tell me about the impact on her life after some film industry advice. She asked me about how to go for her dream of acting after a town hall we did in in southern New Mexico. I barely remember the conversation because these things took place all the time. But she was so moved by whatever I said, that she went out of her way six years later to thank me and tell me all about her life now. It was so beautiful and inspiring.)
And I realized that we so often have an influence on other people every day, it can be good or bad, and we often don't realize the small things that make a huge impact.
Most recently, one of my dearest friends said something so moving. She found a framed quote about having a light in your life when so many things feel dark. She sent me the quote and said "Trish, you have always been this light for me. Thank you, my friend." Immediately I was in tears. Good tears. It was so meaningful. And these things are so vulnerable for people to say - which I have a lot of respect for because most people don't do vulnerable. It lifted my spirits for weeks. Still does.
You're receiving this because I consider you a close friend or someone I adore and just rarely get to see. You've made an impression on my life. It would be so cool to receive a birthday message... short and sweet... or long and poetic... or a drawing... or a song... an update on you ... maybe some advice as I enter my 40th year. Anything at all that you'd like to share!
And of course I would love to return the favor as well! So you'll be receiving a note back from me too. :)
As you know, we always have a ton of people in our corner when we're on top of our game, when we're 'successful', when life is awesome. It definitely feels like less in the hard times. The people I adore are the ones who can handle being real in the hard times too.
So I'm gonna create some kind of book for my 40th -- to get inspired. To look back on it in the good times and in the hard times, to see messages from people I love, people I rarely get to see.
If this is too "touchy feely" for you, or if you're otherwise uncomfortable, no worries or hard feelings at all. This is my 40th birthday wish and I'm just laying it out on the table.
No due date, just whenever you feel so moved.
Aside from that, would love to see you - if not this week, another time for tea or happy hour whenever you can.
Bear hugs and love,
Trish
trish@teeniors.com | 505-600-1297
I hope this finds you well. You're on my mind because... my 40th birthday is tomorrow! Monday, April 9th. It really snuck up on me. I assumed years ago that I would plan something super cool like a girls' vacation or a masquerade party or a safari... but no. I'm throwing things together at the last minute after being asked what the hell I want from my brothers. Finally came to a few ideas:
- A family-friendly gathering
- An adults only night
- And a birthday wish
In our family, your birthday is the only day of the year that you can get people to do almost whatever you want (tango class for all? yes. camping in the Gila? yes. duck duck goose and board games at my place? maybe.) So the not knowing what to do the past few birthdays has been missed opportunities like crazy.
Also in our family, when we're celebrating someone, I like to toast to that person and say the first words that come to mind when we think of them. It's something I hope will become a tradition one day. Hence the idea for my wish... last year a friend was making a birthday book for her older sister and asked us all to write testimonials to her. It inspired me to start such a project (still unfinished) for my own sis. I loved the idea. One time I saw this Facebook post go around that said "leave a sentence about how you know me in the comments". Thought that was cool.
My birthday wish feels similar to all of this.
I would love to receive a personal 40th birthday message from you. :)
I recently started this leadership cohort and we had our first class last week. I was SO glad that instead of going into business type lectures and client scenarios, the entire focus was on us as individuals. Our vulnerabilities, what drives us to be who we are, the things we face and don't face in life. It was VERY cool. Exactly the way I would have led a leadership training. Many people were expressing really hard things, a few were crying. It was awesome and real.
The past five years were the hardest chapters of my life. Tons of LOVE, beauty, and personal growth... and also a lot of HARD. You who are close to me know about it. You who I rarely get to see, know less. And I realized that what's always made me feel better in the hard times were genuine expressions of love and friendship and vulnerability. And people who are ok talking about the hard times, and not looking away from them. (Like a visit after our daughter was born when we were completely drained and sleep deprived... a message of encouragement or understanding after her dad and I split up. Some random notes, even by people I don't know. Like this a woman who went out of her way to find me on Facebook last year and tell me about the impact on her life after some film industry advice. She asked me about how to go for her dream of acting after a town hall we did in in southern New Mexico. I barely remember the conversation because these things took place all the time. But she was so moved by whatever I said, that she went out of her way six years later to thank me and tell me all about her life now. It was so beautiful and inspiring.)
And I realized that we so often have an influence on other people every day, it can be good or bad, and we often don't realize the small things that make a huge impact.
Most recently, one of my dearest friends said something so moving. She found a framed quote about having a light in your life when so many things feel dark. She sent me the quote and said "Trish, you have always been this light for me. Thank you, my friend." Immediately I was in tears. Good tears. It was so meaningful. And these things are so vulnerable for people to say - which I have a lot of respect for because most people don't do vulnerable. It lifted my spirits for weeks. Still does.
You're receiving this because I consider you a close friend or someone I adore and just rarely get to see. You've made an impression on my life. It would be so cool to receive a birthday message... short and sweet... or long and poetic... or a drawing... or a song... an update on you ... maybe some advice as I enter my 40th year. Anything at all that you'd like to share!
And of course I would love to return the favor as well! So you'll be receiving a note back from me too. :)
As you know, we always have a ton of people in our corner when we're on top of our game, when we're 'successful', when life is awesome. It definitely feels like less in the hard times. The people I adore are the ones who can handle being real in the hard times too.
So I'm gonna create some kind of book for my 40th -- to get inspired. To look back on it in the good times and in the hard times, to see messages from people I love, people I rarely get to see.
If this is too "touchy feely" for you, or if you're otherwise uncomfortable, no worries or hard feelings at all. This is my 40th birthday wish and I'm just laying it out on the table.
No due date, just whenever you feel so moved.
Aside from that, would love to see you - if not this week, another time for tea or happy hour whenever you can.
Bear hugs and love,
Trish
trish@teeniors.com | 505-600-1297
